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What Are the Electric Ireland Reviews Like?
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Choosing an energy provider is a big decision and customer service is up there with price when making your decision, so if you’re thinking about Electric Ireland, you really need to check out the Electric Ireland reviews to find out more. In our Electric Ireland reviews guide, we’ll walk you through all the Electric Ireland experiences so you can make an informed decision!
Is Electric Ireland Any Good?
Electric Ireland is the oldest and the largest energy company in Ireland. Originally the sole nationalised energy provider, it has still maintained its dominance over the Irish though it no longer has a monopoly over the market and is now separate from ESB Networks. In 2021, Electric Ireland still had 43% of the market share in Ireland. It also plays a large role in the development of Ireland’s renewable energy infrastructure and Electric Ireland solar panels are one the SEAI registered providers.
Quick Bord Gáis Pros and Cons
Advantages
- Largest energy supplier in Ireland
- State-owned
- Domestic and business offers
- Cheap offers
Disadvantages
- Problems with customer service
- Billing issues
- Expensive
- Problems with price clarity
What Are Electric Ireland’s Advantages?
Though the energy market in Ireland is fully liberalised, Electric Ireland still has many advantages over other energy suppliers, being able to offer a greater variety of tariffs and more flexible pricing. They’re able to do this by being the following:
- State-Ownership
Being still a state-owned company, Electric Ireland has the ability to offer slightly cheaper electricity and gas prices than its competitors. This means that quite often it is the cheapest energy supplier and leads the energy markets in price hikes or cuts. Since it is still subsidised by the government, it can handle energy crises a lot more robustly. - Large Customer Base
Electric Ireland has 1.2 million domestic customers and also supplies nearly 100,000 businesses in Ireland. This large customer base gives them a lot of security in the market so the likelihood of Electric Ireland pulling out of the energy market is practically zero. Electric Ireland also covers the whole of Ireland from Dublin to Cork. - Marketplace Experience
Electric Ireland is the oldest energy provider in the Irish energy market, and has a lot of experience in all aspects of the market. Electric Ireland is also the sole supplier of last resort for the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) in the case of bust suppliers, given its size and experience.
What Do Electric Ireland Customers Complain About?
It has many advantages and a large chunk of the energy market, Electric Ireland also is the target of many customer complaints. According to the CRU, Electric Ireland had 9 complaints out of 49 that were upheld in favour of customers continuing a falling trend from 2018, however people still complain about customer service as well as price clarity with Electric Ireland.
What Are the Electric Ireland Reviews on Trustpilot Like?
Trustpilot is a great site to get an idea of what other customers’ experiences have been. However, you often have to take reviews with a pinch of salt since sometimes they can be used solely for negative reviews as people are less likely to publish their positive experiences.
What Do Trustpilot Reviewers Like About Electric Ireland?
Many customers do have great customer service experience with Electric Ireland when they ring up. Many reviewers have noted the politeness of the agents on the phones and how easily their issues were dealt with as well as the Electric Ireland reward schemes. For example:
Electric Ireland is my electricity provider for over 15 years. To be honest, never had any problems with them. Never had to wait to long to pick up my calls. Customer service or Loyality team was always kind and helpfull. Some extra discounts should be given to long term customers as an appreciation of their loyality in my opinion.
Piotr Rajchel on Trustpilot, 04/05/2023
There are also those customers who have lauded Electric Ireland for their pricing even if they’ve had other problems with the provider. They are many who feel that, since Electric Ireland can, they get the best rates on the market:
Electric Ireland is my electricity provider for over 15 years. To be honest, never had any problems with them. Never had to wait to long to pick up my calls. Customer service or Loyality team was always kind and helpfull. Some extra discounts should be given to long term customers as an appreciation of their loyality in my opinion.
Peter on Trustpilot, 30/12/2022
What About Electric Ireland Complaints on Trustpilot?
Despite these positive reviews, there are a number of customers who do not share the same experience when it comes to Electric Ireland. Some, for example are frustrated with the price increases that have come with the energy crisis and the rising gas prices in Europe:
With electric Ireland now planning 2nd price of to nearly 40% again for October.2022 . Would it be that all these power companies That have so much money to buy each others customer's that they would pay it back to to loyal customers ànd get off the merry-go-round and help keep price's down to own customer's.???
Michael Nesbitt on Trustpilot, 01/09/2022
However, the most significant complains do tend to come from customer service related issues such as waiting times and getting through to solve their problems:
A dystopian nightmare: I called three times today, held the call for 90 minutes in total and was cut off twice. I feel so sorry for the frontline staff who absorb the opprobrium of callers. Supervisors and managers just hide away and do not take responsibility for systemic failures of EI. A shambles of a company.
Tallen Green on Trustpilot, 24/03/2022
How Does Electric Ireland Do Overall on Trustpilot?
Electric Ireland has an overal score of 1.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Out of 333 reviews from different customers throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland, around 89% have rated it with 1 star whereas only 6% have given if 5 stars. However, it’s important to keep in mind, though this is a low score, many customers will use Trustpilot as an outlet to vent frustration with a company and is not necessarily representative.
What Are the Electric Ireland Reviews on Google Like?
Another popular place for reviews about energy companies is to have a look at Google reviews. Although not as comprehensive as Trustpilot, Google can give you a great overview of how customers have experienced Electric Ireland and it’s a good source for deciding whether you want to switch suppliers.
What Do Google Reviewers Like About Electric Ireland?
Similar to the Trustpilot reviews, many of the google reviewers have found the customer service good and they’ve had their problems solved quickly once they contacted Electric Ireland:
Fantastic customer service! I had a small problem and contacted them twice recently online - on webchat and on twitter and on both occasions my issues were resolved right there and then, unlike my previous supplier where it was almost impossible to get through. Very happy so far!
There have also been reviews about Electric Ireland electricians on their professionalism and punctuality:
Recently had an electric power point installed. Very easy to deal with. Electric Ireland were efficient and professional. A shout out too to David the electrician who installed the charger who was extremely helpful as the house is old and it was difficult to work around. Thanks David.
What About Google Complaints About Electric Ireland?
However, there have also been complaints about Electric Ireland on Google. Very similar to the Trustpilot reviews, these have mostly been directed towards the customer service experience:
The absolute worst customer care division I have ever dealt. Shockingly bad. Our bill was paid and then two weeks later they credit us with €680. I rang them to let them know about their mistake. The following week they take €680 out of my account. For absolutely no reasons. I Spent 3 hours in total to get to the bottom of it. They are refusing to give me the money back and will only give me credit. Can someone please explain this to me? How is this even possible. Avoid the company at all costs. I’ll be leaving tomorrow. Disgrace of a company. Disgusting.
There have also been complaints about double-billing where customers have been charged twice in a given period:
Double charged me for 3 months. Keep on estimating twice as expensive bills even though I submitted readings. Support claiming they want to go back in time 10 months to check bills. Hell no, they only want to do that to charge too much again. 0 stars. Moving company
Christoffer Sundqvist on Google
How Does Electric Ireland Do Overall on Google?
A little better than on Trustpilot, Electric Ireland scores 1.4 out of 5 on Google. Again, the vast majority of reviews that customers have left have been 1 star out of around 417 total with very few being positive. However, it’s worth noting that, like Trustpilot, customers will tend to leave negative reviews. Unlike Trustpilot, Electric Ireland has actively been replying to negative reviews and offering other solutions to their problems so it’s possible that these cases were solved after the reviews were left.
How Good Is the Electric Ireland App?
Electric Ireland also has an app that you can download so you can manage your account, check your usage, and top up right from your phone through using your Electric Ireland login. The Electric Ireland app has also been reviewed on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
What Are the Apple App Store Reviews Like?
For the App Store, the overall score for the Electric Ireland app is 2.2 out of 5. There are a number of customer who find it useful, especially from Electric Ireland prepay customers who use it to top up:
I’ve been using this app and previously the website since 2014. It’s fantastic for PAYG Electric Ireland users. I noticed a lot of 1 star reviews from people who downloaded without reading the description of use and then slated the app for their mistake. (mostly bill pay accounts) Over the last few years the app has improved and it no longer glitches when I want to check out my topup history. I particularly like that I can compare my yearly/monthly spend to previous years/months. It’s really convenient to use and has payment password security which I like.
AilbheD on the App Store, 02/06/2021
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